Toy rattle



NOV 25 1952 B, GELARDIN ETAL 2,618,893

TOY RATTLE Filed May 5, 1949 atenteci Nov. 255', 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- .TOY RATTLE Benjamincelardin anafeatriee clardm,y NeWYork, N. Y.

Theobject of the present invention isto provide a novel form of .toy Yrattle vwhich,.when vibrated, will illuminate the-head of: the rattle to givefapleasing effect. Thespecific objectof` the invention is to .provide a1 toy rattle of' such character which will be inexpensive, and which may be made in substantial'entirety of blown or molded plastic, which can be easily assembledby unskilled labor., whichv will employ adry cell battery as a gravitational weight above a fulcrum point to enable swinging of that part of the rattle ris,- ingv upwardly from a handle; rand toprovide spring means kwhich will restorethe elements t initial positionr against the gravitational action of the weight constituted by the dry cell battery.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. l is a view in elevation, partly in dotted lines, showing an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a partial .longitudinal section on the line 2 2, Fig. 1,'sh0wing'lateral positions of the rattle bodywhen the device is. shaken vfrom side to side.

Fig. 3 isa View similar to Fig. 2; showing the coaction of the handleH and battery enclosing a circuitthrough the electric lamp when the rattle body is thrownl to one side.

Fig-.4 is atop plan view of thel rattle.

In Figs. l, 3 and 4 of the vdrawings thefcrnsshatched lines indicate "color, and any 'suitable means of decoration may be applied to the structure to add to its attractiveness.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that the rattle consists of a primary body member in the form of a hollow ball which may be made in two halves, I, 2, which may be cemented together at the area 3. Projected through the ball-like body and preferably cemented to its two sections is a tubular member 4. rI'he upper end of the tubular member is projected within a hollow ball 5 and the ball in the present embodiment rises immediately above a ring 6 surrounding tubular member 4. The elements 5 and 6 may be cemented to member 4. In this manner the assembly is made to represent a doll-like figure having a head and body, with a collar interposed between the two.

The lower end portion of the tube 4 is threaded, whereas the upper end of the said tube is closed. Threaded onto the lower end of tube 4 is an internally threaded cup 1, this cup being apertured at its lower end.

The aperture in the lower end of cup 1 is relatively large, and there is projected through the aperture the upper portion of a handle 8; the handle having a disk-like head 9; the diameter 2 of 'thehead -beinggreater than-the diametrfo'f the aperture in the base of cup 1.

In practice a. cylindrical drycell"battc'5 .Il will be placed in tubular member@ when itslwe open end is exposed by removal of threaded-cup l, and on top of the battery willbe 'placedaliglit spiral spring II which spring s-so woundthat-it will conform with theithreads on@ thesl'iank of Aa usual typev of battery Velectric lanip I2.'

Spring II will normally act by engagement with the top` of battery I|l,`whichfin turn vvllbe lightly pressed down on; thefop'of' handle-.disk 9, the lamp engaging the upper 'closed end of t fe, 4, to maintain the baser `or axial contatoff vhe electric lamp spaced from' 'the axial contactfof the dry cell batteryi In other' words'f-the ele; ments will beheld in the position'of Figsflfar'id 2. The axial Contact 'off the lamp is indicatedat I3 in Fig. 1 'andthe axialY contactbf thbattery, shown in that figure at I4. In. Fig. l the spring I I has been eliminated Vfor clarity of, illustration.

In all cases 'the disk-like'head of. thev handlell will be of' less diameter than theinternal dia'xf. eter of' the tubular vmember 4..' Also'it 'will bj appreciated that the top of thej handley insucl.

an'arrangement serves as a vful'c'rlurnff'for thetrockf ing of` the entire"structurel above' the handle. The battery is relatively 'heavy,'and vtherefore when 'the rattle is. grasped 4by the hand-Ie` and the device swung from side.to side,` enough pressure. will be developed'interrnedi'ate the 'fulcruni,vhead 9 and the battery to bring 'the contacts I3 IantlIIlr into engagement through the upward movement of the battery against the resistance of spiral spring I I. However, when the rocking impulse in either of two directions at any one time is dispelled, the spring I4 will restore the parts to the position of Fig. 2. v

When the cup and handle disk 9 are made of non-conducting material the battery I may rest directly on the disk. I-Iowever, the battery may directly rest upon a short freely movable block I5, if desired.

A circuit is effected through the electric lamp I2 via the contacts I3 and I4, thence through the lamp filament to the normally threaded shank of the lamp, thence through the spiral spring II, and thence through 'the casing of the battery III which, as customary, is of conducting metal and its exposed upper edge remaining in contact with the spring I I which serves as a conductor.

It will be realized that various modifications may be made in the form and arrangement of the elements constituting the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawing, without departing from the spirit of the invention. The ball body may hold any suitable sound-producing element, shot-pellets i6 being shown in the drawings. Also the body and head may be of any suitable form, as for example representing animals, birds or human figures. The material selected for the construction may be widely varied, plastic being preferred. In the embodiment shown the tubular container 4 and the head 5 will be transparent so as to be illuminated by the electric lamp. It is obvious that the lamp can be substituted by a vibratory element such as a buzzer thrown into circuit in the same manner as the lamp.

Having described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is as follows:

1. A toy device comprising a body member including a container adapted to receive a dry cell battery, an electric lamp and a spiral spring interposed between the lamp and the battery, in combination with a device having a head disposed in the container at one end thereof and so related to the interior of the container that when the latter is rocked back and forth the head acts against the battery so as to move the latter against the action of the spring and into electrical contact with the lamp.

2. A toy device consisting of a body member including an elongated container adapted to receive a dry cell battery, an electric lamp and a spring interposed between the battery and the lamp, one end of the container carrying a removable closure formed with an aperture, a handle member projected through the aperture and having a head, the relative sizes of the aperture and the handle member permitting angular movement of the container with respect to said handle member to impart endwise movement to a battery within the container.

3. A toy device consisting of a body member including an elongated container adapted to receive a dry cell battery, an electric lamp and spring means for normally holding the lamp and battery relatively out of contact, one end of the container being closed and the second end of the container being formed with an aperture, in combination with a fulcrum device in said aperture so related to the interior of the container that when the latter is rocked back and forth the fulcrum device acts against the battery to impart endwise movement thereto.

4. A toy device consisting of a ball-shaped member, a tubular container projected through the ball-shaped member so that its opposite ends protrude, one end of the container being closed, a second and transparent ball-like member carried by the tubular container at its closed end, a threaded apertured closure carried by the container at its opposite end, a handle projected through the aperture of said closure member, a head on the handle, a battery and an electric lamp, with an interposed spring, disposed within the tubular container, the spring normally holding the lamp against one end of the container and the end area of the battery supported upon said head of the handle, with the contacts of the lamp and battery separated by the spring, all of said elements being adapted to rock upon the head of the handle, whereby the elements within the container are given alternate longitudinal pressure and release as and for the purpose set forth.

5. A rattle comprising a rattle body, a tubular container within the body, an electric lamp at one end of the container and having a contact terminal, a battery having a contact terminal and slidable within the container for movement t0- ward and away from said lamp contact terminal, spring means biasing said battery away from said lamp contact terminal, a rattle handle at the other end of the container for rockably mounting the handle to said other end of the container, and means responsive to relative rocking motion of the handle and container for intermittently moving said battery toward said lamp contact terminal so as to cause intermittent contact between the latter and the battery contact terminal.

BENJAMIN GELARDIN. BEATRICE GELARDIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date l 1,106,828 Monaghan Aug. 11, 1914 1,506,567 Cohn Aug. 26, 1924 1,855,015 Fraser et al. Apr. 19, 1932 2,171,304 Gelardin Aug. 29, 1939 

